Hi everyone, I'm new as a member but have used this site for research throughout this year, my first year raising animals with my husband (but I grew up raising chickens/turkeys). We have many animals, but my current issue is with one of our ducks.
We have a flock of mostly white Pekin ducks, but had also purchased a male and female Khaki Campbell duck pair. The Khaki's were smaller than the Pekins, so we had them separate until they grew. They are still a little bit smaller but are closer in size now. Friday, we moved the Khaki's into the pen with the Pekins. They have indoor/outdoor access, and outside there is a small plastic wading pool that we provide to the ducks for swimming. As you can imagine, it gets dirty very quickly even though we dump it out and rinse it frequently.
The khaki's are new to this pond. Friday night when I went to put all our animals to bed, one of the khaki ducks was in the pond, looked like he had drowned. I was afraid he was already dead, but he actually had not yet gone to rigor mortis and he still moved his head/neck a tiny bit. I carefully carried him to the house and called for my husband. We got him wrapped in towels to help fight the shock, and we gave him mouth-to-beak recussitation. We brought him inside, eventually he was able to sit upright but was very very docile. (Normally our ducks are a bit spooked by us and run away from us, no matter how much we try to socialize with them.)
We decided to keep him inside with a heat lamp for observation over the next few days. My concern now is that, while he is walking around like normal, he sounds a bit "hoarse" in his quacks and I am worried about respiratory infection or pneumonia. The water that he was almost drowned in was dirty from the ducks earlier...
Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!
~Brittany~
Details requested by the "how to post here" section:
1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Khaki Campbell, hatched & shipped to us mid-July from a hatchery. Unsure of weight (how do you weigh a skittish duck?;-) but he can sit in my one hand "overflowing". Friday night when he was recuperating he kept crawling into my hand.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
His quack (which is more of an "eep eep" due to his age) is sounding weaker and sometimes he looks like he's quacking but no sound is coming out. The "silent quack" is happening more this morning than it was yesterday...
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Since Friday night when we rescued him from drowning.
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nothing visible, though I suspect bacterial pneumonia.
5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
See above.
6) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
He has been eating feed crumbles, and water. He is eating and drinking just fine since Saturday morning - he did drink some water Friday evening after he was warmed up and dried, but didn't seem interested in eating. Saturday and today he's been eating and drinking here and there.
7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
A bit runny but not quite watery.
8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
No medication although I would like to administer antibiotic but am unsure of what kind and dosage. We have on hand Liquamycin LA-200 (oxytetracycline injection) but can pick up whatever is available at Big R in Spokane, WA.
9 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Prefer self-treatment but if necessary would consider vet - problem being that it's Sunday, our vet is closed Sundays, and tomorrow is Labor Day holiday. I would like to administer antibiotic ASAP with guidance if someone's experienced in this...
10) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No pic as it's more internal that I am worried about...
11) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Currently we have him in a large plastic tub with towels for bedding (but will be switching the towels out today for straw. We have a heat lamp up as well.
We have a flock of mostly white Pekin ducks, but had also purchased a male and female Khaki Campbell duck pair. The Khaki's were smaller than the Pekins, so we had them separate until they grew. They are still a little bit smaller but are closer in size now. Friday, we moved the Khaki's into the pen with the Pekins. They have indoor/outdoor access, and outside there is a small plastic wading pool that we provide to the ducks for swimming. As you can imagine, it gets dirty very quickly even though we dump it out and rinse it frequently.
The khaki's are new to this pond. Friday night when I went to put all our animals to bed, one of the khaki ducks was in the pond, looked like he had drowned. I was afraid he was already dead, but he actually had not yet gone to rigor mortis and he still moved his head/neck a tiny bit. I carefully carried him to the house and called for my husband. We got him wrapped in towels to help fight the shock, and we gave him mouth-to-beak recussitation. We brought him inside, eventually he was able to sit upright but was very very docile. (Normally our ducks are a bit spooked by us and run away from us, no matter how much we try to socialize with them.)
We decided to keep him inside with a heat lamp for observation over the next few days. My concern now is that, while he is walking around like normal, he sounds a bit "hoarse" in his quacks and I am worried about respiratory infection or pneumonia. The water that he was almost drowned in was dirty from the ducks earlier...
Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!
~Brittany~
Details requested by the "how to post here" section:
1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Khaki Campbell, hatched & shipped to us mid-July from a hatchery. Unsure of weight (how do you weigh a skittish duck?;-) but he can sit in my one hand "overflowing". Friday night when he was recuperating he kept crawling into my hand.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
His quack (which is more of an "eep eep" due to his age) is sounding weaker and sometimes he looks like he's quacking but no sound is coming out. The "silent quack" is happening more this morning than it was yesterday...
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Since Friday night when we rescued him from drowning.
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nothing visible, though I suspect bacterial pneumonia.
5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
See above.
6) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
He has been eating feed crumbles, and water. He is eating and drinking just fine since Saturday morning - he did drink some water Friday evening after he was warmed up and dried, but didn't seem interested in eating. Saturday and today he's been eating and drinking here and there.
7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
A bit runny but not quite watery.
8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
No medication although I would like to administer antibiotic but am unsure of what kind and dosage. We have on hand Liquamycin LA-200 (oxytetracycline injection) but can pick up whatever is available at Big R in Spokane, WA.
9 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Prefer self-treatment but if necessary would consider vet - problem being that it's Sunday, our vet is closed Sundays, and tomorrow is Labor Day holiday. I would like to administer antibiotic ASAP with guidance if someone's experienced in this...
10) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No pic as it's more internal that I am worried about...
11) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Currently we have him in a large plastic tub with towels for bedding (but will be switching the towels out today for straw. We have a heat lamp up as well.
